Despite drop in overdose deaths, calls to 911 still climbing

Benjamin Paulin The Patriot Ledger @BPaulin_Ledger

Tuesday

Sep 5, 2017 at 12:24 AMSep 5, 2017 at 12:28 AM

QUINCY – The number of overdose deaths in Massachusetts may finally be on their way down more than a decade into a national opioid addiction epidemic, but local officials say they’re now having to work harder than ever to keep opioid users alive.

The number of 911 calls for overdoses has continued to climb in Quincy even as fewer of those turn out to be fatal, in large part because of the widespread use of the overdose-reversing drug nalaxone, best known by the brand name Narcan.

At the same time, Quincy first responders are having to use larger doses of nalaxone to keep users alive as many turn to more powerful opioids, particularly fentanyl.

The number of overdose deaths in Quincy each month now appears to be holding steady – and officials hope to see a drop by the end of the year – but the number of 911 calls for overdoses in the city continues to rise.

In the first 30 days of August, for example, the city saw 42 overdoses, resulting in three deaths, which Lt. Patrick Glynn of the Quincy Police Department said is higher than most months this year.

At the same time, users are increasingly turning toward more powerful opioids and requiring stronger doses of nalaxone when they overdose, Glynn said.

“We're definitely using more (Narcan). Using twice as much,” said Glynn, who heads up the Quincy police drug control unit and is seen as a national pioneer in the use of nalaxone by police officers.

About eight months ago, Glynn noticed that the department was using more and more two-milligram doses of nalaxone to revive overdose victims. So, they switched to four-milligram doses and have seen positive results, he said.

“Fentanyl is now out on the street and it’s taking the place of heroin,” Glynn said. “There are more people overdosing because the drug is that much more powerful.

“Not just heroin, but heroin mixed with fentanyl and straight fentanyl. You cannot use the same amount of fentanyl as you do with heroin.”

A year ago, the Quincy Police Department and a local community health agency began following up on each overdose call in the city to help connect opioid users and their families with treatment programs and other resources to help them stop using.

The follow-up program is operated in in conjunction with prevention specialists from the Manet Community Health Center based in Milton.

The non-profit group has three locations in Quincy, as well as offices in Hull and Taunton.

“Our program does outreach to people who are at-risk for overdose,” said Kim Kroeger, Program Director of Prevention Services at Manet.

“It's working out really well. It’s a way to support people in getting through this illness. People, family members feel really alone and isolated and often times don’t know where to turn to for support.”

Each week Glynn compiles information on overdoses calls in the city and gives a list of addresses to Kroeger. From there, the social workers from Manet and plainclothes officers visit each home on the list.

Glynn said the officers do not go to the homes in uniform or in marked cruisers.

“They’re not in any enforcement level at that time. They’re there to provide information,” Glynn said.

Since they started the program in October, the response they’ve gotten has been mostly positive.

“First we were gauging the success of just getting into the home. Now it’s getting more and more prevalent where someone will access the services,” Glynn said.

“The family members have been so appreciative of the follow-up visit. They tell us that some of these programs are ones that they weren’t aware of.”

In addition to the informational materials, the prevention specialists offer in-home training on how to administer nalaxone.

Once they complete the brief training, they are given a dose to hold on to.

“We recommend to anyone to have it in their first aid kit. Unfortunately now for many households, it’s a needed medication,” Kroeger said. “It’s not just administering the Narcan – it’s training them to call 911 and do rescue breathing.”

In rarer cases, the visits have prompted some users to go to a detoxification program either that day or the following morning.

State officials announced on Tuesday that Massachusetts saw 5 percent fewer opioid-related overdose deaths in the first six months of 2017 compared to the same period last year.

An estimated 978 people have died of opioid overdoses since January, 53 fewer people than the 1,031 who had died by August of last year, according to data released by the state Department of Public Health.

Glynn said the state has been able to at least stem the tide of overdose deaths thanks to the growing number of people, carrying nalaxone, from users and family members to first responders.

Police have even began going to local business owners and offering them training on how to use nalaxone in the event a customer or employee suffers an overdose.

Due to the success of the follow-up program, Kroeger is working to get funding so they can go out more frequently and get to users as soon as 16 hours after they've overdosed.

“We’re hopeful that we’ll soon be moving toward a quicker response. We’ve had some people overdose two days later, a day later,” Kroeger said.

Despite the increase in overdoses, Glynn said he is glad that the overdose deaths have not followed suit.

“The death rate is somewhat subsiding. We're getting to the scene sooner, we’re able to reverse the overdose, then we get them to the hospital,” Glynn said.

“It's crucial in our mission to be able to address the individual and the family to get them back on track and back into the community as individuals and restore the family unit together. Each time we do that, we feel as though we’re one step ahead.”